Six warehouses on Malkin Avenue, also known unofficially as ‘Produce Row’, move about $700 million worth of fruit and vegetables in and out of Vancouver each year.
Bryan Uyesugi, president of produce wholesaler Freshpoint, says he and the other owners want the city to understand the street is an economic hub that provides affordable produce to the city. Not only do the warehouses supply independent grocers, they also support local programs on the Downtown Eastside.
One of those businesses is the Potluck Café, which offers nutritious meals for people who might not otherwise have them.
“If all the businesses were scattered across the city or the Lower Mainland it would make it extremely difficult for us to pick up fresh produce,” says Doris Chow, project manager of the Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables Project.
But Produce Row owners are worried that when the city removes the viaducts as part of the False Creek Flats re-development, traffic from Venables and Prior Streets will move to Malkin Avenue.
READ MORE: New poll shows skepticism over decision to destroy Vancouver viaducts
“Putting that amount of traffic on this street would be disastrous for us,” says Uyesugi. One of the issues is produce trucks make wide turns to access the warehouses and couldn’t do that on a street with heavy traffic.
Produce Row was never an official part of the community plan but many of the warehouses have been there for more than 40 years.
Vision Vancouver City Councillor Geoff Meggs said staff are still looking at ways to reroute the traffic while maintaining the businesses.
“The best solution is to move the entire thing to National Avenue but that increases the costs when you go over the train tracks. The protection of Produce Row and the jobs are a top priority and I don’t think anyone wants to see them go,” he says.
It’s expected a decision on the traffic patterns will be made in the fall.
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